DIFFERENTIABILITY, DIFFERENTIALS,

AND LOCAL LINEARITY

DIFFERENTIABILITY
 Recall that a function f of one variable is called differentiable at x0 if it
has a derivative at x0 , that is, if the limit :

 The graph of y = f(x) has a nonvertical tangent line at the point (x0, f(x0))

 f may be closely approximated by a linear function near x0

 f is continuous at x0.
 Our primary objective in this section is to extend the notion of
differentiability to functions of two or three variables in such a way
that the natural analogs of these properties hold.
DIFFERENTIABILITY
 The surface z = f(x, y) has a nonvertical tangent plane at the point
(x0, y0, f(x0, y0))

 The values of f at points near (x0, y0) can be very closely

approximated by the values of a linear function
 f is continuous at (x0, y0).
DIFFERENTIABILITY
DIFFERENTIABILITY
DIFFERENTIABILITY
EXAMPLE
Prove that f (x, y) = x2 + y2 is differentiable at (0, 0).

 Since fx(x, y) = 2x and fy(x, y) = 2y, we have fx(0, 0) = fy(0, 0) = 0

 Therefore, f is differentiable at (0, 0).

DIFFERENTIABILITY AND CONTINUITY
Theorem
If a function is differentiable at a point, then it is continuous at that
point.

Theorem
If all first-order partial derivatives of f exist and are continuous at a
point, then f is differentiable at that point.

EXAMPLE
f(x, y, z) = x + yz
 Since fx(x, y, z) = 1, fy(x, y, z) = z, and fz(x, y, z) = y are defined and
continuous everywhere, we conclude that f is differentiable everywhere
DIFFERENTIALS
 The approximations for a function of two variables

 The approximations for a function of two variables

 Total differential of f
DIFFERENTIALS
EXAMPLE
Approximate the change in z = xy2 from its value at (0.5, 1.0) to its
value at (0.503, 1.004).

 For z = xy2 we have dz = y2 dx + 2xy dy. Evaluating this differential

at (x, y) = (0.5, 1.0),
dx = x = 0.503 − 0.5 = 0.003,
dy = y = 1.004 − 1.0 = 0.004
yields
dz = 1.02(0.003) + 2(0.5)(1.0)(0.004) = 0.007
 Since z = 0.5 at (x, y) = (0.5, 1.0) and z = 0.507032048 at (x, y) =
(0.503, 1.004), we have
z = 0.507032048 − 0.5 = 0.007032048
LOCAL LINEAR APPROXIMATIONS
 We now show that if a function f is differentiable at a point, then it can be
very closely approximated by a linear function near that point

 Local linear approximation to f at (x0, y0).

 Local linear approximation to f at (x0, y0).

LOCAL LINEAR APPROXIMATIONS
EXAMPLE
Find the local linear approximation to f(x, y) at the point (3, 4).

with fx(3, 4) = 3/5 and fy(3, 4) = 4/5 . Therefore, the local linear
approximation to f at (3, 4)is given by
THE CHAIN RULE
CHAIN RULES FOR DERIVATIVES
 If y is a differentiable function of x and x is a differentiable
function of t , then the chain rule for functions of one variable
states that, under composition, y becomes a differentiable function
of t with
CHAIN RULES FOR DERIVATIVES
CHAIN RULES FOR DERIVATIVES
CHAIN RULES FOR DERIVATIVES
EXAMPLE
Suppose that
z = x2y, x = t2, y= t3
Use the chain rule to find dz/dt, and check the result by expressing z as a function
of t and differentiating directly.
 By the chain rule

 We can express z directly as a function of t ,

dz/dt = 7t 6
CHAIN RULES FOR DERIVATIVES
EXAMPLE
Suppose that

Use the chain rule to find dw/dθ when θ = π/4.

CHAIN RULES FOR DERIVATIVES
.
CHAIN RULES FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
 In previous section the variables x and y are each functions of a single

variable t.

 We now consider the case where x and y are each functions of two

variables.

 Let z = f(x, y) and suppose that x and y are functions of u and v, say

x = x(u, v) ; y = y(u, v)
CHAIN RULES FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
CHAIN RULES FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
CHAIN RULES FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
CHAIN RULES FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
EXAMPLE
Given that

find ∂z/∂u and ∂z/∂v using the chain rule.

CHAIN RULES FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
EXAMPLE
Given that

find ∂z/∂u and ∂z/∂v using the chain rule.

OTHER VERSIONS OF THE CHAIN RULE
 The chain rule extends to functions w = f (v1, v2, . . . , vn) of n
variables
OTHER VERSIONS OF THE CHAIN RULE
EXAMPLE
Suppose that w = xy + yz, y = sin x, z = ex. Use an appropriate form of the
chain rule to find dw/dx

w explicitly in terms of x as
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
 Consider the special case where z = f (x, y) is a function of x and y and y
is a differentiable function of x.

 This result can be used to find derivatives of functions that are defined
implicitly. For example, suppose that the equation
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLE
Given that x3 + y2x − 3 = 0 find dy/dx using (14), and check the
result using implicit differentiation
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
EXAMPLE
Consider the sphere x2 + y2 + z2=1. Find ∂z/∂x and ∂z/∂y

f(x, y, z) = x2 + y2 + z2